• Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.

Pixieking

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,956
Slightly regretting not opting for 16GB over 8GB for my parents' rig, because I noticed the integrated graphics using almost 2GB of the available RAM. (Though this was after I fired up Portal 2 just to try out Steam's Big PIcture mode.)

Does Windows automatically scale its VRAM usage as necessary or will I need to poke around in the BIOS and limit it there? I guess I could just cold boot the system tonight to see what it reads, but I've already packed it all up. :P

It seems to just use 2gb regardless of what's being done - I had Steam and MPC running and it was still saying 2gb used for graphics. I think it does scale, but proportionally based on how much you have, so adding another 8gb stick will just let it automatically use, like, 4gb. I think.
 

maximumzero

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,906
New Orleans, LA
It seems to just use 2gb regardless of what's being done - I had Steam and MPC running and it was still saying 2gb used for graphics. I think it does scale, but proportionally based on how much you have, so adding another 8gb stick will just let it automatically use, like, 4gb. I think.

Okay. I might have to dive into the BIOS when I set it up at their place and see if I can drop that to 1GB or even 512MB. They ain't gonna be gaming and the more RAM available to Windows proper the better.
 

SiG

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,485
Any word on new ITX profile GPUs? All of the new ones seem to be of the fullwidth type, but I heard Japan had a release of 5700 ITX GPUs exclusive to their market...
 

Deleted member 24097

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 29, 2017
704
Any word on new ITX profile GPUs? All of the new ones seem to be of the fullwidth type, but I heard Japan had a release of 5700 ITX GPUs exclusive to their market...

I don't see any specific ITX-friendly GPU listed here:

価格.com - チップ種類(AMD):Radeon RX 5700のグラフィックボード・ビデオカード 価格の安い順

チップ種類(AMD):Radeon RX 5700のグラフィックボード・ビデオカード製品一覧 価格の安い順!たくさんの製品の中から、価格やスペック、ランキング、満足度など、さまざまな条件を指定して自分にピッタリの製品を簡単に探し出すことができます。

Although the MSI Radeon RX 5700 MECH OC and Kurouto Shikou RD-RX5700-E8GB/DF should fit the bill for a number of cases (both being ~230 mm in length).
 

maximumzero

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,906
New Orleans, LA
Was able to set my iGPU's video ram to 64MB in the BIOS of the Deskmini so that frees up more RAM to Windows. Apparently the system will scale as necessary, if necessary, from there.
 
OP
OP
Bomblord

Bomblord

Self-requested ban
Banned
Jan 11, 2018
6,390
Was able to set my iGPU's video ram to 64MB in the BIOS of the Deskmini so that frees up more RAM to Windows. Apparently the system will scale as necessary, if necessary, from there.
I remember an early method of getting better performance on the Ryzen G series was setting that to 2GB. Did that change?
 
Oct 29, 2017
13,479

maximumzero

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,906
New Orleans, LA
Setting up the Deskmini at my parents place now and moving over their data. For shits/giggles here's a UserBenchmark on the old computer versus the new one. I'll snap a picture of both side-by-side before I finish up.

UserBenchmarks: Game 11%, Desk 27%, Work 13%
CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 255 - 26.7%
GPU: Nvidia GeForce 9200 - 0.5%
HDD: WD Green 1TB (2010) - 39.9%
RAM: Kingston ACR256X64D3U1333C9 2x2GB - 27.5%
MBD: Acer Aspire X3400G

UserBenchmarks: Game 15%, Desk 65%, Work 30%
CPU: AMD Athlon 3000G - 54.7%
GPU: AMD Radeon Vega 3 Graphics - 5.3%
SSD: WDC WDS250G2B0C-00PXH0 250GB - 168.8%
RAM: Kingston HyperX DDR4 2400 C14 2x4GB - 85.4%
MBD: Asrock A300M-STX
 
Last edited:

SpartyCrunch

Xbox
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
2,497
Seattle, WA
That wont fit a Node 202. Look at how it requires three pcie brackets while the 202 has only two. You will need a 2-slot card.
Ah yeah, I completely didn't even realize that. Thanks for the pointer!

Any recommendations on which model might be better suited to the 202? I know 2060s are a bit overpriced for now so I'm happy to wait another month or so to see if prices come down.
 
Oct 29, 2017
13,479
Ah yeah, I completely didn't even realize that. Thanks for the pointer!

Any recommendations on which model might be better suited to the 202? I know 2060s are a bit overpriced for now so I'm happy to wait another month or so to see if prices come down.
I don't have a 202, but from looking at pictures I think even the triple-fan GIGABYTE GAMING OC (28cm) and Asus Strix (30cm) will fit. I say go for price or deals like if you had a common case. If you want to maximize cooling and reduce noise go for the biggest heatsink and fans that fit, but those are more expensive.
Seems like the 2060 KO by EVGA is the cheapest at the moment. Build quality is lower than their other models, but should be good enough.
 

ABeezy1388

Member
Apr 5, 2018
677
Copying this over from the pc thread since my build is going to be a small form factor:

So I started to actually buy the components for not only my first build but my first ITX build! this is what I got from micro center so far:

Power Supply: EVGA 650GM 80+G FM SFX PSU - $134.99***
Memory: G. SKILL 32GB 2X16 D4 3200 RIPJAWS $138.99
Storage: IPSG 256GB I PREMIUM NVME SSD $44.99
Storage: IPSG 1TB I PREMIUM NVME SSD $134.99
CPU: AMD AMD RYZEN 5 3600X WRAITHS $179.99
Motherboard: ASUS ROG STRIX B450-I GAMING $114.99
GPU: See text below
Cooler: See text below
Case: See text below

TOTAL COST OF PURCHASED PARTS: $745.11

so with micro center having the sale on the Ryzen CPUs I decided to bite. They also were giving $20 off with a combo with a mother board dropping the B450 from $134 to 114. I previously had different storage brand and sizes but the guy who helped me suggested a small 256 for the boot drive with really good read and wrote speeds. this mobo has 2 NVME slots so i picked a 1TB however I'm wondering if I should swap it for a 2TB. I also have a 3TB sata drive and a 500GB 850 Evo SSD I could add if need be.

*** So all these prices were either the same or cheaper with the deals then amazon which is why I went with Micro center. However the PSU listed above was $108.98 on Amazon and he said he would price match. He fudged the price and actually sold me it for only $88.98 which is awesome. On top of that it comes with a $20 mail in rebate dropping the price to $68 for a 650GM gold fully modular PSU lmao!

I was so close to biting on buying the EVGA RTX 2080 Super Black on sale for $689 but I am still undecided if I want to wait for the 3000 series or not.

I also will need a cooler and being a SSF build I'm thinking of going with the Noctua NH-L9a after most of the build videos I've watched.

Lastly for the case I cannot decide which I want to get. Right now I'm considering several options. They are:

  • fractal node 202
  • Silverstone Rvz03
  • Dan Case A4-SFX v4.1
  • Phanteks evolv x
  • Geeek A50 Mini
  • Nouvolo Steck
  • LOUQE Ghost S1
  • Modivio xCase L
this will mostly be tucked away so I want something console like which eliminates a few of the above if I go that route so I am kind of leaning towards the RV03 at the moment. Hopefully I've made some good choices :)

I actually just bought the RVZ03 off amazon to see if I like it. If not I'll return it and try something else. Just need to decide on the graphics card situation. I also would love to sell my current pc my buddy built me in 2016, even if I don't get much for it it would be nice to sell it for something instead of sit and collect dust.
 

maximumzero

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,906
New Orleans, LA
The Deskmini is just a bit smaller than their old computer.

xVKq1Rn_d.jpg
 

disgraciau

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,901
Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain
I've fixed a temperature "problem" that was bothering me for almost a year.

So, finally i've bought a new fan, and did something kind of risky... I put the old fan just IN FRONT of the graphics card, obviously facing both the same airflow direction. In this way and in my case it helps getting out the hot air. And what i've done with the new fan is installing it so it can get cool air from outside so it can help stabilize RTX 2070 temperatures.

Last, I removed the dust filter because I suspected that it could be an obstacle for airflow.

Result: It always stays at 76-77 degrees with Metro Exodus at max settings. With 97% of GPU utilization. And Metro Exodus is the game that pushes most my graphics card to the max.

IMG_20200221_131026.jpg


So here it is, with its ugly cable management as always.
 
Oct 25, 2017
2,933
The NZXT H1 seems to be making the review rounds today on youtube. As a feature complete and easy to use package it seems like a win, but it comes with a ton of caveats - tempered glass+gpu riser cable suffocation, PCI-E 3.0 only riser means problems if your board doesn't support mode switching, lack of USB connectivity. Its $350 for the whole thing too. The SFF crowd might scoff at the problems (and size), and the casuals might be turned off by the price.
 

SiG

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,485
Any news on some new/upcoming mini ITX-sized GPUs? All I've seen are rigs with GTX 1660 minis. Is the RTX 2070 Mini by Gigabyte still the best one in terms of smallest size/biggest performance?
The NZXT H1 seems to be making the review rounds today on youtube. As a feature complete and easy to use package it seems like a win, but it comes with a ton of caveats - tempered glass+gpu riser cable suffocation, PCI-E 3.0 only riser means problems if your board doesn't support mode switching, lack of USB connectivity. Its $350 for the whole thing too. The SFF crowd might scoff at the problems (and size), and the casuals might be turned off by the price.
I feel like NZXT missed the whole point of "mini" ITX.

They really need to look at the small form factor community and SFF Forums. Right now, though, I'm still fantasizing about a dream cases that is roughly similar (but not quite as small) in size to the Skyreach S4 Mini, but more available and allows for a slim optical drive bay. It would be the ideal 4KTV PC case.
 
Oct 25, 2017
2,933
So while surfing the AXP-90 full copper thread on sff.net, I found a link to a comprehensive August 2019 CPU cooler comparison from chiphell.com. Covers coolers 115mm (Noctua NH-C14S in low profile mode) and under, organized by the size class of the heatsink rather than the fan, which is semi-standardized during the testing of each cooler. Pages 35 (comparison), Page 36 (their best of the best), and Page 37 (blowing/pulling down vs blowing up/pulling up, for 2 specific coolers) are of the most interest. Google translate gets their points across, for the most part.

2019年下压式CPU散热器横测 - 第35页 - 散热器 - Chiphell - 分享与交流用户体验

2019年下压式CPU散热器横测,第35页,在高性能ITX小钢炮风靡之前,提到下压式散热器也许会联想到低性能;而ITX的浪潮兴起之后,厂商的跟进导致更多的高性能下压式散热器出现了.在ITX主板、机箱短暂又曲折的发展历史之中,迷你的塔式散热器和120mm甚至240mm一 ...,散热器,评测 ,Chiphell - 分享与交流用户体验

Some things I noticed:
  • The AXP-100 full copper performs particularly well for 58mm in height, which makes it a contender for the Salvo 402 (...maybe). Can be easily bought now on Amazon US.
  • The Cryorig C1 seems like a perfect match for the Sliger Conswole at 74mm. It's got a way lower height than the C14s, and has better ram clearance (42mm) than the AXP-200R (33mm). This seemingly makes it perfect for the new Crucial Ballistix line that I wanted to put in my future build. I really want to see this cooler pitted against a 3900x/3950x.
  • The Scythe Big Shuriken 3 seems like a great, inexpensive all rounder option for 69mm. Oriented in the right direction, it has an unlimited ram clearance height.
 
Last edited:

Elfforkusu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,098
After years of putting it off, I'm finally doing my DrZaber Sentry build.

I'm looking for suggestions for M.2 storage. Is Samsung still best in class?
 

kami_sama

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,998
I like that H1, but man, is it restrictive with the gpu size.
Only two slots wide, and if your gpu is taller than the slot (now more than 50% are) length is also pretty restricted.
Only* founders edition can fit inside.
 

SpartyCrunch

Xbox
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
2,497
Seattle, WA
I just got one of the new size-reduced models of the 2060 - fits really nicely into my Node 202!

Haven't used it too much yet but so far heat seems like it'll be pretty manageable in this case with this card.

Good news! The 2060 fits perfectly in the Node 202 with plenty of room to spare!

Bad news! Even with one intake case fan alongside the GPU, the GPU hit 84C within 5-10 minutes of launching the Oculus Home software 😅

I intentionally kept the Node 202 horizontally within my entertainment center which has limited airflow. So a stress test of sorts. I guess I'll need to pull it out and/or turn it vertical when I want to play games on it.
 

kami_sama

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,998
So I want to build in a Cerberus X, it is the only SFF case that let's you use an ATX mobo, and more importantly, let's me have tons of disk space.
I also rather have air cooling, but that can be changed.
I made a 3d model of what it would look like and it seems to fit https://imgur.com/4qq2oe1
Top fan would be a 120x15mm noctua, back fan a 92x25mm one, front one is a 120x25mm and the fan below is 140x25mm.
The cpu cooler would be a C14S. Other components are here https://pcpartpicker.com/list/X643Wb
I want to know that this isn't a fool's errand and everything will work as intended.

Any suggestions welcome.
 

darthkarki

Banned
Feb 28, 2019
129
Good news! The 2060 fits perfectly in the Node 202 with plenty of room to spare!

Bad news! Even with one intake case fan alongside the GPU, the GPU hit 84C within 5-10 minutes of launching the Oculus Home software 😅

I intentionally kept the Node 202 horizontally within my entertainment center which has limited airflow. So a stress test of sorts. I guess I'll need to pull it out and/or turn it vertical when I want to play games on it.

That might be an issue with that particular card? I briefly used a reference 2060 Super in the Node 202 with two case fans under it, one push one pull (case is horizontal also), and running Heaven benchmark for a good while I think it stayed below 80c if I remember correctly.

I now have an EVGA 2080 Super XC Gaming and... I don't love it. It's actually not too bad temp wise, maxes at around 85c, but it's loud. Pretty annoying. It's obviously faster than the 2060 Super, but that thing was so quiet, it was awesome. Almost worth the sacrifice in performance.

Almost. :)
 
Oct 25, 2017
2,933
Covid-19 has caused substantial delays with all the SFF.net cases I'm following. Mainly in internal usb/c connectors, power buttons, and case specific riser cables.

The Link UP Ultra PCI-E 4.0 riser cables seem to be readily available on the their website, with the complete Amazon rollout pushed back to later this month. Some cables are available now on the Amazon US.

It turns out the Sliger Coswole does not officially support PCI-E bifurcation as seen the SV series.
 
Last edited:

Rizific

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,948
:djkhalidanotherone.jiffy:

clean design for those who dont like the gamer/flashy aesthetic. its a looker for sure.
 

Pancakes R Us

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,338
:djkhalidanotherone.jiffy:

clean design for those who dont like the gamer/flashy aesthetic. its a looker for sure.

I really like the look of this, but it's such a shame about the temperature issues this reviewer mentioned.

Anyone here got the Corsair One? I love the look of it, but it's so bloody expensive!
 

SiG

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,485
Is there a good list of Mini ITX cases that allow for a slim optical drive to be mounted internally?
 

NeoChaos

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,273
NorCal
Well, might as well post about the HTPC build I put together last week. From the I need a new PC thread:

That new thread smell! Perfect timing too, as I just put together a HTPC build I could use to entertain friends (you know, when it's safe to hang out with other people again). Specs:

AMD Ryzen 5 1600 AF​
Noctua NF-L9a-AM4​
MSI B450I Gaming Plus AC​
16 GB G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4-3600​
Zotac RTX 2070 Super Mini​
WD Blue 1 TB SATA SSD​
EVGA SuperNova 550 GM​
Silverstone SG13​

My only problem right now is the GPU is running hot when maxed out...in both Tekken 7 and Soulcalibur VI, it's topping out at 80° C (most other games I've got on this system are pretty light on the card). Wondering I should've gone for a larger or non-Zotac card.

For now, some pics:

IMG-20200311-202153.jpg

Test build before I put it in the case.

IMG-20200311-234332.jpg

Finished build.

IMG-20200311-235049.jpg

Running Soulcalibur VI on my 4K set.
 
Oct 25, 2017
2,933
The L12s, in ideal conditions, can effectively cool a 3950x at stock.




Pretty much the exact vid I was looking for after Tech Yes city did a 3950x aircooled sff build (and totally botched it, this is an example of what not to do).
Another thread on the topic I found awhile back: Cooling a Ryzen 9 3950X with Noctua L9A*

Seems like 95w/105w coolers can do the job, provided that the case airflow is up to snuff. That's the biggest contention I have with the Conswole vs the Salvo s402 for my build. The Conswole has the height & gpu airflow but not the cpu airflow (perhaps), while the s402 looks to have the cpu & gpu airflow potential (perhaps) but not the height at stock (without spacers, which are a ??? at this point).

For coolers, the AXP 100 full copper is just short of cutting the mustard (in a s402 w/out dual 120mm or triple 60mm/70mm fans), while on a testing setup the L12s and Big Shuriken 3 class coolers could do the job. I really wish that Noctua produced Ghost S1 focused cpu cooler Loque and Noctua were teasing last year would come out already.
 
Last edited:

Soulstar

Member
Oct 25, 2017
873
I have a Ncase M1 at home and I am just itching to build something in it but my current job keeps me away from for weeks at a time. Will probably put a build together once the new cpus and GPUs come out later this year. By then I should have a job that has me home more often.
 
Oct 27, 2017
1,293
That's the biggest contention I have with the Conswole vs the Salvo s402 for my build. The Conswole has the height & gpu airflow but not the cpu airflow (perhaps), while the s402 looks to have the cpu & gpu airflow potential (perhaps) but not the height at stock (without spacers, which are a ??? at this point).

For my Conswole build, I'm using the L12S. I'll be curious to see how temps are with it, albeit I'm only going to be using a 3600 for the CPU, so hopefully the L12S is more than adequate for that. Plus, considering I'll only have my old 1070 in it to start, temps should be more than fine in it.
 
Oct 25, 2017
2,933
For my Conswole build, I'm using the L12S. I'll be curious to see how temps are with it, albeit I'm only going to be using a 3600 for the CPU, so hopefully the L12S is more than adequate for that. Plus, considering I'll only have my old 1070 in it to start, temps should be more than fine in it.
You might have some more thermal headroom for higher clocks, even with a 1070. I'd like to use an L12s for my build idea, but the VLP/corsair lpx ram requirement for sub 90mm SFF builds is a no go for the specific kit I want to buy.
 

Observable

Member
Oct 27, 2017
946
Good that I found this thread as I just ordered an Ncases M1 and will be building my first PC since 2008 when all parts finally arrive.

I basically wanted it to be as powerful for gaming and development/designing as it can be in a SFF package, so I'm trying to go for a double radiator watercooling loop on a 3900x and 2080ti (that I already had). I'm still waiting for my PSU, radiators, soft-tubes and CPU cooler/pump (ordered an Apogee Drive II). The case itself should arrive next week.

If someone here has experience with the case, watercooling or a combination of both, and has some tips they would be greatly appreciated :) If you want the full specs I can post them here too.
 

Dr Doom

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,008
I'm waiting for ROG Strix x570-I but out stock everywhere.

Any good alternative for M1 Ncase
 
Oct 25, 2017
2,933
The Salvo Studios website has been updated with the final specs for the s402 (pictures are from the final prototype, the release version will be black).
The initial run is 100 units. The panel spacers for higher than 58mm coolers are coming, but not until late summer. Other details include a 1/4in and 1/8in sizing, with stack-ability (1/4+1/8 is an option). No note on whether they'll be side agnostic like the v2's on the s401, but the recent changes to the back panel of the case might make that a moot point. Availability is set for May. You can't seem to pre-order right now, or if you could, idk. I'm like 8 hours late to the party.
 

Rackham

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,532
Hey how's it going. I have an extra GTX 1050 and Radeon 7850 laying around and I need some ideas for a small form factor gaming PC. I want to use a Ryzen processor. Probably something like a Ryzen 5 3600. Trying not to break $500. It doesn't have to be an AMD processor, I just think it's better value for performance.

Anyone have any case, motherboard and PSU ideas? RGB isn't important to me. I'd like the Mobo to an NVMe slot and case room for expanded storage.
 
Oct 27, 2017
1,293
I'm waiting for ROG Strix x570-I but out stock everywhere.

Any good alternative for M1 Ncase
The Gigabyte X570-I board is solid. I have that in my SM580 that I built last summer and its been super solid. Granted, I haven't been overclocking or really stressing it out but the BIOS is easy enough to navigate and the chipset fan is pretty much silent depending on how you set the settings of it. Its got 2 M.2 slots and just feels nice and solid.

Main drawback compared to the Asus X570-I is the reduced number of USB slots on the back and the lower # of fan headers on the board.

I'm waiting on the Sliger Conswole to ship and lucked out since I bought most of the components for that build back in December before the Conswole was delayed. So I lucked out in getting an Asus X570-I and an SF750, since I know both of those are hard to come by now.
 

Dr Doom

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,008
The Gigabyte X570-I board is solid. I have that in my SM580 that I built last summer and its been super solid. Granted, I haven't been overclocking or really stressing it out but the BIOS is easy enough to navigate and the chipset fan is pretty much silent depending on how you set the settings of it. Its got 2 M.2 slots and just feels nice and solid.

Main drawback compared to the Asus X570-I is the reduced number of USB slots on the back and the lower # of fan headers on the board.

I'm waiting on the Sliger Conswole to ship and lucked out since I bought most of the components for that build back in December before the Conswole was delayed. So I lucked out in getting an Asus X570-I and an SF750, since I know both of those are hard to come by now.
Thanks for the info

I ended up with X570-I but ordered it on Amazon Japan.... should be fine right
 

Observable

Member
Oct 27, 2017
946
Today I got the last of my parts in and started building my custom loop on a bench.

So I filled it up and turned the machine on, turns out I received a dead Alphacool LT Solo pump/cooler. Incredibly disappointed. Especially since they are now sold out everywhere with long delivery dates, not sure what I'm going to do now; my M1 case will arrive Monday.

Might need to find a temporary solution of some sort.
 

molnizzle

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
17,695
Ordered an Ncase M1 today. I had been waiting for Comet Lake and Zen 3 benchmarks, but I figured with COVID-19 the thing might not arrive for weeks (or months) anyway since it ships from Taiwan. This also gives me the chance to transfer my current, much larger ITX build and get used to working in it.

I had been looking at full ATX cases because I wanted a more silent build, but after fighting with various AiO pumps over the years it dawned on me that I need to just suck it up and do a custom loop. I might as well stay within the ITX ecosystem in that case. Hell, I might as well downsize!

Goal is to do a dual rad setup in the Ncase. It'll be my first open loop system. Hopefully it will be worth the inevitable struggle.
 

hikarutilmitt

Member
Dec 16, 2017
11,406
I got a Lian Li TU150 to replace my Cooler Master 130 Elite back in early March. The Sapphire 5600XT then came back in stock immediately afterward, so I managed to get it all put in on the 10th. Last week I finally put a front intake 120mm fan and my temps dropped by 3 -5 degrees idle on my water cooler. I swear my NVME is running cooler too, but I guess ANY airflow is better than none, even if it's minimal. The CM didn't allow for shit. It's still a good case, but the airflow in it is kind of not great even with no optical drive and an SFX PSU.

I'm glad I got it because it fits right under my TV and actually has a less deep profile. The window was a bit of a concession because I kiiiind of wanted to see the inside of my PC again, I just don't have a full RGB concert going, just the blue LED from the Intel liquid cooler and the red Sapphire logo. It's the right kind of small ambiance you don't even notice most of the time.